COTE DE TEXAS: COTE DE TEXAS 2017 GIFT GUIDE

COTE DE TEXAS 2017 GIFT GUIDE

sNow that Thanksgiving is over – everyone is putting out their Holiday Gift Guide.  I thought I would do my own Cote de Texas – Gift Guide for the Holiday Season.  This way, for Christmas, all I have to do is read my own blog to do all my shopping!   I WISH it was that easy!

Still, isn’t Internet Shopping the best?   The thought of going to the Galleria to shop for all the holiday gifts seems so daunting now.  How did we ever survive before Internet shopping????



The biggest and priciest item on my list is this 55” flatscreen that the New York Times says is their favorite TV.  I’m including it because it is ROKU READY.

Roku? What is ROKU?  

  Mr. Slippersocksman and I are ADDICTED to Roku.   Thanks to Roku, we are thinking about going off the grid – and telling Uverse to go stuff it.   We already get HBO on Roku instead of Uverse and we watch Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon on Roku.  I have even stopped watching movies on On Demand – the buffering is awful, but on ROKU, we don’t have any buffering at all.  Roku is the future.  I think. 

To order this TV just click on the photo.

To order ROKU -  you have to have a smart TV.



AND, remember vinyl?  Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York, Carole Radziwill, has a turntable that she keeps on the console behind her sofa.   Her turntable is quite contemporary, of course.  Carole is so hip - I’m not surprised she listens to vinyl.  If you want to join in on the latest trend – be sure to get a turntable that is Bluetooth ready – it will connect automatically to your speakers.  

And, it’s so much fun dragging out all your old albums.

Click on photo to order this Bluetooth ready turntable.


For the holidays, I love to give candles.  Everyone loves a candle!

I have two favorite candles.   First, there is – NEST, Bamboo scent.   Such a gorgeous scent.  This candle will make the entire house smell of bamboo.  What exactly IS a bamboo scent?  Who knew bamboo had a scent?   All I know is this candle is wonderful and I have Shabby Slip’s Renea Abbott to thank for turning me on to this candle years and years ago.


But, my all time favorite candle is the Kenneth Turner – Original Scent.   For years, this candle was a must have in Houston.   The multi wick round candle was in a round terra cotta tub, placed in a wicker basket.  Below, designer Carol Glasser’s Kenneth Turner candle is plainly seen on her black chest.


Today, that terra cotta/wicker candle is no longer made for some insane reason.  You can still get the Original Scent, but just not in the beautiful package. 


Instead, you can order this five wick Kenneth Turner Original Scent candle in this pretty and very elegant glass bowl with a chrome base and lid.   Not cheap, it’s for that very special friend or yourself!  Click on the photo to order.



My favorite treats for the body are by Laura Mercier.  Anything by Laura Mercier.  But, I happen to be especially partial to her Crème Broule Soufflé Body Crème.  To order – click HERE.



Or, if you can’t decide between all the delicious Laura Mercier choices – why not try  this Sampler where you can enjoy them all -  HERE.




This is a real treat – the Oribe Gold Shampoo and Conditioner and Shiner

.  It’s not cheap, but it’s the most fabulous smelling shampoo in the world, ever. 

When I was much younger, I used to be addicted to Pantene.  It was such a wonderful smelling shampoo.  But they sold the company and the shampoo was never the same again.  Pantene went from being fabulous to being ordinary.  Now we have Oribe instead.

BEST SMELLING SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER/SHINER EVER.  Order HERE.




I love the Monique Lhuillier collection at Pottery Barn. I especially love the blush pink Hemstitch napkins. Order HERE.   The entire blush collection is beautiful.   Aw. to get married again!!




This is a great Mother’s gift, wife’s gift, or gift for your husband! Breakfast in Bed!  HERE



And I love this Zebra skin Tray – although it’s really cowhide.  HERE.

I actually need one to stack papers and magazines in.



I love a home baked pie – who doesn’t?  But this pie dish with the scalloped edges makes it look even tastier.


To order, click on the photo above!



This is a pretty gift – paired with a real or faux succulents.  S, M, L,  HERE.



To decorate the Christmas table, I love this centerpiece HERE

For a longer table, I would use four or five and place them in a long line.



The most elegant gift for Christmas or a birthday or if you are a house guest – is a piece of Juliska.   Any piece of the glass line will do – but this vase is especially pretty and not too expensive.  HERE





Another elegant gift I love to give is this box of monogrammed soap.  Who wouldn’t love this for a powder room?  Order - HERE



Wisteria has these wonderful Santos.  I’d keep them out all year long.  The antique Santos are so hard to find now and these are a great alternative.  HERE



Darling Uggs come in black, white and my favorite blush pink.  Order HERE.




I am addicted to these fun furs.   For a daughter, a sister, or you?  PINK FUN FUR  HERE



How about a fun fur for the sofa or the end of your bed? 

ASSORTED FAUX FUR THROWS.  HERE


A cashmere wrap is a classic, this one is oversized and greatly discounted, in black, gray, or beige HERE.



I’m obsessed with this triptych behind the sofa. 

The art work HERE

And the light fixture for a modern look – Love it!!  HERE.



Perfume?   My signature scent is Aromatics Elixir.  I never wear another scent and have worn this for decades. To order, click on the bottle.   The elixir is intense – a bottle lasts for years and years.

 

OK.  This is a gift for you only!   You’ve seen this on TV ads.  It makes bags under the eyes disappear.  It makes wrinkles less noticeable.   In other words, this one works better than any other.   Wonder Lift for wrinkles.  Click on the photo to order!!



This is my daughter’s favorite gadget – she doesn’t leave home without it:   The Yeti Tumbler – in cute colors like this turquoise blue.  LOVE!   Keeps drinks cold or hot forever.   Be sure to order their straws and holders.   This also comes in different sizes for different occasions.

   To order the Yeti,  click the photo!



AND – this is another new gadget that we are loving at home!  SodaStream.  You make your own carbonated drinks!  Or just plain carbonated water.  So easy.

  To order the SodaStream,  click on this photo above.



The NY Times named “Haute Bohemians” the Design Book of the Year.   I agree it’s a fabulously beautiful book filled with Miguel Flores-Vanna’s photographs that remind us how truly rare a good design photographer is. 

To order, click on the photo.


While “Haute Bohemians” is a favorite of mine, I am naming “Out East” Cote de Texas’ Design Book of the Year.   I love the collection of Hampton houses and gardens shown inside these pages.  There are two houses in particular that are worth the price of the book.   I keep this close by and open it often to dream and get inspiration from. 

Click on the photo to order.


Everyone knows that I am addicted to the Starz series “Outlander” based on the series of books by Diana Gabaldon.   While I often recommend the TV series – I don’t talk about the books much, but for the past few years, I’ve bene reading and rereading them. 

Diana wrote the first book, “Outlander” as a test to see if she COULD write a novel.  That just amazes me.   Million of copies later – she proved she could write and then write some more.

If you like a good romance and time travel and Scotland and handsome warriors, this is for you.  I highly recommend it.


What is YOUR favorite gift to give????  I’d love to hear what you like to give again and again.  Share it with us all in a comment.

                                          

34 comments :

  1. Too funny, Joni! I love the Kenneth Turner signature scent too! A few days ago I ordered the pillar candle and room spray. I had one of the terra cotta/wicker candles and I'd say it was my most favorite candle ever!

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    1. I have one left that I won't use!!! It just sits there. Not sure why I'm saving it.

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  2. The category I probably give the most often is edibles. Although beauty products would be a close second. Those Laura Mercier suggestions are perfect. Something special and luxurious that the receiver can use...and use up. For my mom, though, I would buy really nice versions of stuff she would use daily, such as Wolford pantyhose vs. her usual No Nonsense.

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    1. I forgot to include that I saw turntables at the Urban Outfitters boutique in Galeries Lafayette in Toulouse. First, I was floored to see Urban Outfitters. Then I was knocked over by the turntables--cute retro design. But we still have a few. And vinyl.

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    2. I gave my BFF the shampoo for her birthday because she would never spend the money for it. At first she was angry but then she used it and now she loves it.

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  3. HSN might just come calling at your door...great suggestions!! I'm enamored with that unique "end table" in the first photo...what IS that about??!!?? franki p.s. that pink fur jacket is mine to be....

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    1. do you mean the flatscreen? I'm confused about the end table?

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  4. Okay, these gifts are fab. You are making my life so stress free, And I purchased the eye bag stuff for myself. Does it really work?

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  5. can you repost the link to the art? thanks!!

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  6. OMG, I remember Aromatics Elixier, but I have forgotten it until you mentioned it! It is such a unique scent and very powerful. I remember it from the late 70’s or early 80’s...amazing that that is already around 40 years ago!?! Is my math correct?!? That is like a scent made in the 30’s that we liked in the 70’s, which would have seemed ancient to us at the time. Now we see that it is NO time, in the scheme of things....

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    1. yep. I think I've worn it for 40 years. I didn't want to say that. but yep. I'm 63!!!!

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  7. Ha! For years I thought I must be the only Jew obsessed with Santos and beautiful Catholic iconography- glad to know I'm not alone! :) Mine are mainly antiques but those are so fabulous I may have to make an exception for them

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    1. My daughter has a beautiful angel in her room. My father would die if he saw it!! lol. https://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009/12/changes-at-maison-cote-de-texas.html here's a link to the photos of her room when I first did it. what a mess it is right now! she is living at home and her room is such a pig sty!!!

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    2. Why? Angels are part of the Jewish faith as well.

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    3. Well not THIS Jewish family LOL!!!!

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  8. My favorite house in the Hamptons book is Louise Melhado’s. Fantastic !

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  9. Thanks so much, Joni! So many great ideas I can use for myself and family and friends! xo, Beth

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  10. What a great guide! I want every single thing for me!

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  11. Great Guide ! The only trouble with Internet Shopping is the people who suffer trying to maintain their business inside the old brick and mortar :( I try to remember to support my local shop keepers and department stores too ! What will the world be like when all the stores are few and far between ? Shipping costs will no longer be free and we will all be crying

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  12. Betsy Duggan, you got a point. However, there are more than one side to it. We live in a capitalistic society and with progress the ways commerce is conducted has changed and continues changing. Since NAFTA (which like everything else, has its pros and cons) large box stores and/or national discount chains have been contributing to the demise of the mom-and-pop stores. My family refuses to set foot at Walmart but chip imports have allowed the less fortunate to acquire more or some goods that maybe they would not be able to before. Business that are thriving are discount stores (the economy "looks good" but it is a soft economy) or family owned stores that innovated or offer something one cannot get at the impersonal box stores. For instance, there is a hardware store in the town where I lived that is located within 4 minutes from Lowe's and 10 minutes from Home Depot. This store is t-h-r-i-v-i-n-g! and has been doing so for many decades. It has literally everything one can possibly want in a hardware store and a knowledgeable employee is READLY available. They tend to hire retired individuals who were former welders, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc, If you happen to be walking the isles, someone is sure to approach you ready to help. I was asked for $40 to fix a desk lamp. I went to this store and the employee showed me the $5 piece needed and in two seconds repaired the lamp for me then and there without being asked!! He knew how simple it was and instead of telling me how to do it, he did it himself. Similar situation happened to my husband at this store. They do not discriminate :-) In the case of this blog, the items being offered seem unique and if we order one, the blogger might make a very small percentage of the sale, thus we are contributing to a very small enterprise as well. I do shop online some and patronize the local stores when I want something unique. Incidentally, shipping costs are NEVER free despite of being so advertised.

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    1. Are you talking about Berings in Houston? It sounds like it.

      I think there were always be stores, maybe not malls, but stores. The world is changing. We can't go back now. The changes are amazing.

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  13. Hi Joni- I've meant to mention this many times before, but it is so much easier for your readers if, when you create your embedded hyperlinks to products / other website, you click the little box that says "Open in New Window." That way your website isn't replaced by the new site when we click on the link, letting readers bounce back and forth more easily. Thank you and best wishes! - Cris

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  14. what a wonderful choice of gifts...I am going to come back in a week and order from your page. I already have a hard time reading your blog since I read the blog and my eyes drift to the right to look at the ads....always great items. Then I scroll down, read the blog and my eyes again drift to the right....repeat many times. I discovered Tuckernuck on your site and bought a Barbour jacket through them. Lightweight enough to wear in Houston on a "cold" day.

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  15. I don't know if you realize it, but your website is being infiltrated by trolls. Pretty disgusting spam posts.

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    1. I'm not getting any trolls/spam on the website, CleanLivingGal. You might want to contact your tech person to clean up malware etc. on your computer.

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  16. Loved this post! I'm also a fan of the Kenneth Turner original scent in candles, room spray, etc.... I read somewhere that this is Prince Charles' favorite room scent and is sprayed regularly in his homes.

    My second favorite candle line is Manuel Canovas. Very high end, beautiful scents that you don't see everywhere. As for gifts, LAFCO candles make a nice present. They are large, elegant and the glass container can be reused as a stylish holder.

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  17. Love your post very much. Actually, i am also a fan of all kinds of cool gifts I'd like to see more posts here about gifts.

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  18. Great tips, many thanks for sharing. I have printed and will stick on the wall! I like this blog. Final Cleaning Services in Houston

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  19. Stunning wish list really it is. Love to have it they are unique & classy can be gifted to anyone who is close & important will surely share this with my other colleagues as well.

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